723 The Gold of the Commander of the Faithful2011 SOLD 3.72 M£ including premium

One hundred years after the Hegira, the Muslim world is led by the Caliph of the Umayyad dynasty, whose capital is in Damascus. The sale in Londonon April 4 of two superb gold dinars from that time is an exceptional event in its category. The auction is organized by Morton and Eden in the premises of Sotheby's.

These coins are illustrated on both sides by an Arabic text, indicating in particular that they come from the mine of the Commander of the Faithful. They are dated 92 and 105 AH (711 and 723 of our calendar).

The latest coin certifies that it was made from a mine in Hejaz. Such a mine had been purchased a few years previously by one of the first Caliphs. The absence of coins of this origin between 92 and 105 could correlate such issues with pilgrimages to Mecca led by the Caliph himself.

Both are in very fine condition. They are estimated respectively at £ 250K and 300K.

POST SALE COMMENT

I had announced an event exceptional in its category. It was true.

The most prestigious of the two coins, dated 105AH (723AD), was sold £ 3.1 million before fees, 3.72 million including premium.

A Fatimid rock crystal ewer2008 SOLD 3.1 M£ including premium

The Islamic art reached an extreme opulence before that irreparable cultural disaster that we called the Crusades. Thousand years ago, we were at less than 400 years after the Hegira, and the Fatimid dynasty, having come from North Africa, reigned until Egypt where it founded its capital, Cairo.

The rock crystal ewer found by Christie's comes from that time. Associated Press tells the story of this discovery. In January, a small English auction house proposed a French wine jug of the nineteenth century, estimated one hundred pounds. Fans were excited on the unusual nature of this object, and they spoke quickly into hundreds of thousands of dollars. Here there is divergence between AP saying that the object was sold, which Xinhua saying, quoting Christie's, that it was withdrawn "by mutual agreement".

It is a true treasure: it is comforting to know that there are still some of them circulating on the market. The challenge is to detect them. Christie's offers this item for sale in London on October 7, announcing in its press release that it could exceed £ 3 million.

It is one of seven identified copies of Fatimid rock crystal ewers from the Fatimid royal treasure of Cairo. It was carved in a block of flawless rock crystal, and is decorated with cheetahs in chains. The six other copies belong to museums. Each one is decorated with a different animal in relation to the theme of hunting.

The ewer of our article has been gold mounted in the middle of the nineteenth century by a French goldsmith who once worked for Queen Victoria. That may probably explain the January initial error of description.

Such works are fragile. The one that belonged to the Pitti palace was broken in 1998 beyond repair during a fall. The scarcity is created and strengthened by the disappearance of objects. This one is exceptional.

POST SALE COMMENT

The specialists at Christie's were right in their estimates. The ewer was sold £ 3.1 million including expenses.

1340-1345 The Major-domo of a Powerful Mamluk Emir2011 SOLD 4.5 M£ including premium

In Egypt, the later reign of the Mamluk sultan An Nasir Muhammad was a short period of stability with the strengthening of the role of the viceroys who were emirs in charge of overseeing the territories of the kingdom. Being constantly on the field of war, the emirs left the direction of their home to mayors or major-domos who had their own place in the high nobility.

A Mamluk candlestick for sale by Sotheby's in London on April 6 reflects this hierarchical structure. It is estimated £ 2M.

The base is a truncated cone slightly curved, 34 cm in its largest diameter. It is topped by a stick that supports the candle holder, also a truncated cone, for a total height of 38 cm. This piece of brass inlaid with copper and silver is decorated on its whole surface with inscriptions, armorials and other animal, vegetal and geometric motifs.

The white eagles and cups in cartouches shaped as reversed teardrops are the blazon of the emir Tuquztamur, who was certainly famous in his time! The inscriptions testify to the faithfulness of the major-domo of his noble house.

The identification of the Emir enables to date the candlestick with some accuracy because his role of viceroy was limited to a period of five years (741-746 AH, 1340-1345 AD). Curiously, this information can not locate the object, since the emir executed several successive appointments in Egypt and Syria.

POST SALE COMMENT

The great rarity and the complex decoration of the candlestick pushed it up to £ 4.5 million including premium.

Nasrid - An Ear Dagger2010 SOLD 3.7 M£ including premium

When we fought with knives, the dagger was particularly dangerous, with its short blade that allowed a movement of great precision.

It had also to protect the hand, and the ear dagger was appreciated by hunters and soldiers.In this model, the guard consists of two flat disks (the "ears") confronting on both sides of the handle.

A refined specimen is for sale on October 6 in London by Sotheby's.Coming from Nasrid Spain, this piece has been made in the 9th century AH, more than 500 years ago.The final defeat of the Nasrids by Ferdinand and Isabella was in 1492 of our calendar.

With a total length of 30 cm, it is finely damascened with scenes of hunting and with cartouches including Kufic-style inscriptions.This lot is estimated £ 600K.

POST SALE COMMENT

The bidders confirmed the beauty and rarity of this piece, well beyond the price estimated by the auction house. This dagger was sold £ 3.7 million including premium.

1525-1535 The King disguised as a Dragon2011 SOLD 7.4 M£ including premium

The most important works of ancient literature had a universal or encyclopaedic goal. The Iliad of Homer, Dante's Divine Comedy and the Shahnameh of Firdausi must be put on the same pedestal.

The Persian poet Firdausi wrote the Shahnameh 1000 years ago. This Book of Kings collects the epic and heroic stories of his country since the creation of the world until the advent of Islam.

He was misunderstood in his lifetime, like all geniuses, but the Persian kings realized later that this text could be used as an apologia for royal power. Ismail, founder of the Safavid dynasty, encouraged artists to illustrate the Shahnameh, but the great work was an illuminated manuscript created in the early reign of his son and successor Tahmasp.

This highly important manuscript has been dismantled. One can, or even have to, regret it but the corollary is that each folio coming on the market is considered as a work of art in its own right.

On April 6 in London, Sotheby's sells a gouache heightened with gold, 47 x 32 cm. Made in Tabriz between 1525 and 1535 of our calendar, it is attributable to Aqa Mirak who was one of the best artists of this collection. It is estimated £ 2M.

It shows the king Faridun who disguises himself as a fierce dragon to test the courage and loyalty of his three sons. He could rejoice in the result and particularly appreciate the haughty answer made by the youngest: Go your way, dragon, we are the sons of the powerful Faridun.

This work will soon be exhibited in Doha. On this occasion, it is illustrated in the upper left of the article shared by The Peninsula Qatar.

POST SALE COMMENT

Sotheby's had announced this lot for a very long time and knew its value, of course.

The result, £ 7.4 million including premium, is very high, but the above discussion indicated the trend: each sheet of Shahnameh of Tahmasp is a work of art in its own right.

I have no doubt that this price will incite other sheets to come in future sales.

Safavid - The Carpet of Senator Clark2013 SOLD 34 M$ including premium

The extreme refinement of Persian carpets reached its peak under the Safavid dynasty.

One of them created one of the most exciting surprises in the history of auctions. Surfacing in Germany in October 2009, it was estimated € 900 by a local auctioneer. Christie's had a small intuition about the importance of the piece by providing an estimate of £ 200K. They sold it for £ 6.2 million including premium on April 15, 2010.

Now known as the carpet of the comtesse de Béhague, this Kirman in wool 339 x 153 cm was made with one of the more complex techniques identified as the 'vase' technique. This name is unrelated to the decorative pattern.

The carpet of Senator Clark will not create the same surprise as it has already been described for nearly a century as a masterpiece of Persian textile art. It was exhibited after the death of its owner in 1925 in a museum that de-accessions it now. It is estimated $ 5M, for sale by Sotheby's in New Yorkon June 5. Here is the link to the catalog.

Its red background is rare and perhaps unique in its class, the sickle-leaf pattern variant of the 'vase' technique. Its fine floral motifs and its palmettes make it a vibrant and sumptuous artwork in 267 x 196 cm size.

It is always difficult to date and locate an old carpet, if not by considerations of its technical characteristics. The Clark carpet is Safavid and probably Kirman. It is comparable to the best known pieces woven during the reign of Shah Abbas 400 years ago.

POST SALE COMMENT

There is no price limit for the most outstanding art pieces. This extraordinary carpet was sold for $ 34M including premium.

I invite you to play the video shared by Sotheby's.It is also shared by Wikimedia.

Cotton and Pashmina2013 SOLD 4.8 M£ including premium

Mughal carpets are considered as the masterpieces from the textiles of India. One of them had remained during a century in the Vanderbilt family where it was highlighted by prolonged exposure in places of honor of the mansions.

Measuring 388 x 411 cm, it has a classic repetitive decor of millefleurs, with a star lattice. The drawing of the edge is a later design. It was woven about 300 years ago, but its appeal is largely due to the fact that it is not oldest, once will not hurt!

Indeed, the great ancient Mughal carpets were in silk and are significantly degraded. The Vanderbilt specimen is in cotton, in ivory color for the warp and blue for the weft. The upper layer or pile with the decorative pattern is in pashmina which is a wool from Kashmir.

It is estimated £ 1.5 million, for sale by Christie's in London on October8.

POST SALE COMMENT

This exceptional carpet from North India greatly exceeded its estimate. It was sold for £ 4.8M including premium.The image of this magnificent piece of textile in very good condition is shared on Wikimedia:

1865-1870 A Maharajah converts to Islam2009 SOLD 5.4 M$ including premium

The splendor of the Maharajahs was proverbial. When, shortly before 1870, the Prince of Baroda, Khande Râo of Gâekwâr dynasty, converted to Islam, he wanted to honor his new faith by an exceptional work.

He commissioned the creation of a carpet in pearls and gems, whose beauty can be worthy of the tomb of the Prophet Muhammad at Medina. This work unique in its kind was made, but the Maharaja died in 1870 before the gift was made. The carpet was retained by the family, and remained there for over a hundred years.

It looks in its patterns like a textile carpet centered with three rosettes, and otherwise based on the millefleurs motif fashioned in India in the previous century. It consists of two millions of natural pearls, hundreds of gems of all kinds and a countless colored glass beads.

Sotheby's, which sells it in Doha on March 19, does not publish the estimate but only the starting bid: 5 MUS$. For the moment it is the most extraordinary artwork that has been announced for auction this year.

POST SALE COMMENT

Sensing the difficulties in the market for Islamic art, Sotheby's had lowered its starting bid at $ 4.5 million. They have done well. The carpet of pearls was sold at $ 4.8 million hammer, $ 5.4 million including fees.

1881 A nice Lady of Constantinople2008 SOLD 3.4 M£ including premium

A Lady of Constantinople is estimated £ 3 million at Sotheby's London on May 30, where it is listed under number 100 of the catalogue. It is a painting by Osman Hamdy Bey.

This large size oil on canvas (185x109 cm) is signed at the upper left and dated 1881. At that time Constantinople was not yet Istanbul, and our artist was a little less than 40 years old.

The paintings of Hamdy Bey are far from being unknown in the auction sales, although such prices are not found in the free databases (Artvalue, Artinfo).

We must go on the interesting site ANTIK A. S for finding another work as important as our Lady, a painting of 220x120 cm showing a man at the entrance of a mosque room. It is at the top place in the record results of this auction house of Turkey. It had fetched 5 MYTL in 2004, the equivalent of $ 3.9 million.

Our Lady, elegantly dressed and veiled, stands in a sumptuous decor of carpets and tapestries. Slightly leaning, she is thoughtful and attentive.

At that time, in recent years and especially under French influence, Turkey was interested in the West, and Hamdy Bey is the Turkish artist who was soon impregnated by this new trend. Connoisseurs will certainly confirm a modern art aspect in this typically orientalist subject, and I am willing to believe that an important price will be achieved.

POST SALE COMMENT

It is pleasant to report a good result for a beautiful painting.The Lady of Constantinople was sold 3.4 M£ including fees.

Osman Hamdi Bey was the son of Ibrahim Edhem Pasha who had a remarkable career in Constantinople. Edhem Pasha was a Greek-born who became a slave at the age of 3 after the massacres of Chios. This brilliant intellectual became a mining engineer in Paris and then rose in the Ottoman hierarchy up to the position of grand vizier reached in 1877.

Hamdi Bey came to Paris in 1860 and remained there for nine years. He studied with Gérôme and Boulanger in that city at the time when Orientalist painting enjoyed a great success. Deputy Director of the Ottoman protocol in 1871, he was to remain loyal to this dynasty threatened by decline.

Influenced by European culture, Hamdi Bey became director of the Imperial Museum in 1881 and founded in 1882 the Academy of Fine Arts that would enable young artists to develop their skills without an exile in Europe. He early had a remarkable pioneering achievement in the protection of the archaeological heritage of the Middle East.

He nevertheless does not abandon painting in these years of intense official activity. His scenes of mosques are typical for the time but his portraits of courtiers are in the following of the Qajar art of Persia to which he brings an increased emotion.

The full length portrait of an elegant and veiled Lady painted in oil on canvas in 1881, 185 x 104 cm, was sold for £ 3.4 million including premium by Sotheby's on May 30, 2008. In the same technique but a smaller format, the portrait painted in 1878 of a young scholar comfortably lying to study a document in Topkapi remained unsold in April 2012 at Sotheby's.

On May 14 in Istanbul, Artam Antik A.S. sells a view of the front of the Green Mosque, oil on canvas 185 x 100 cm painted in 1882. The sunny steps and entrance are animated with faithful in the best European Orientalist style. This artwork is estimated TL 10M equivalent to € 3.25M, lot 130. Here is the link to the website of the auction house.

​I invite you to watch the post sale video shared on YouTube by the auction house :